Current SOA processes and guidance generally encourage a phase-based approach to SOA implementation, fully understanding the problem and defining the solution before implementation begins. Digital Focus, an east-coast firm specializing in Agile software development and integration, is convinced that Agile development practices are equally suited to implementing SOA. In August, Digital Focus published an experience report, "SOA, Meet Agile. Adopting SOA with Agile Teams" describing how SOA was successfully deployed using agile methods at Federal Home Loan Banks' Office of Finance (FHLB-OF).
In the following article, InfoQ editor Deborah Hartmann interviewed two people close to the project, to understand how it came about and how it worked out. First, Geoff Henton, CIO of FHLB-OF answered some general questions about using Agile practices on this SOA development effort, an approach they had formerly used only on software projects. Then Tom Stiehm, co-author of the report, filled us in on how the project unfolded.